CCS football playoffs: Sacred Heart, Serra face tougher semifinals

As far as having a home-field advantage for today's Central Coast Section semifinals, Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton has the edge over Serra-San Mateo.

The No. 1-seeded Gators (10-1) host No. 5 Monterey (8-3) at 1 p.m. in a Div. IV semifinal, the first time the schools have met. The No. 2 Padres (9-2) battle No. 6 Bellarmine-San Jose (8-3) at Independence-San Jose at 7 p.m. Both the Gators and Padres face stern tests.

Monterey brings an athletic quarterback in sophomore Carter Aldrete, who measures 6 feet 1 and weighs 175 pounds. Though the Toreadores run the veer-option attack, Aldrete has thrown for 11 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He has rushed for 271 yards. Aldrete's father, Rich, is a former head baseball coach at Cal State-Monterey Bay.

The Gators will have to slow two quality sophomore backs -- Akili Jones and Jason Beering. Jones has rushed 118 times for 753 yards and five touchdowns. Beering has similar numbers, with 119 rushes for 685 yards and six touchdowns. Wideout Brandon Finona is a big-play receiver with 19 catches for 477 yards, a 25.1 yards-per-catch average.

"Monterey runs about 70 percent of the time, but Aldrete can throw it," SHP coach Peter Lavorato said. "He has a good arm. Both their backs can run the football. They're a good football team."

The Gators hope to control the ball with the hard running of Andrew Segre, Ricky Grau and Chris Lee. Quarterback Cole March, another tough runner, replaced Mason Randall in last week's win over Seaside. Randall injured the thumb on his throwing had early in the Valparaiso Bowl game against Menlo School-Atherton, but played the remainder of the contest.

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"We'll see how it goes," Lavorato said. "Cole helps us on defense at defensive end and he can play some linebacker. He's quick and has long arms."

The game could be a battle of wills. Whichever team can control the clock on offense should win the game.

"Monterey is good, defensively," Lavorato said. "They fly around on defense. We're going to have to take care of the football."

The teams have a couple of common opponents. Monterey defeated Salinas 34-12, while the Gators defeated the Cowboys 25-10. The Toreadores beat Seaside 19-7, while the Gators took care of the Spartans 35-12 in last Saturday's quarterfinal. Monterey lost a close game to Palma-Salinas, a CCS Open Division team, 26-21.

Lavorato is glad the game is on the Gators' turf.

"It's really important for us to be home," Lavorato said. "We've earned it. The players feel more comfortable playing at home."

Meanwhile, the Padres get a Bellarmine team that put up heavy resistance in Serra's 17-7 victory on Oct. 4 at San Jose City College in the West Catholic Athletic League opener.

The Padres, normally run-oriented, have tried to be more balanced on offense this season. Quarterback Matt Fa'aita has thrown for 1,375 yards and 17 touchdowns. Wideout Hamilton Hanoa'i has 25 catches for 486 yards and nine touchdowns. Running back Kava Cassidy has been the workhorse for the Padres, rushing for 1,210 yards on 181 carries, scoring 13 touchdowns.

The Bells have a versatile quarterback in K.J. Carta-Samuels, who has committed to Vanderbilt. He is a good scrambler who can throw on the run.

Should Serra win its next two games to capture the Open Division crown, it is the probable choice for a berth in the Div. I regional bowl game. The winner of that game would represent the North in the state bowl championship game in Carson.

Sacred Heart Prep would have an outside chance for a Div. III regional bowl berth should it win the CCS Div. IV title and finsish with a 12-1 record.